Proposed English Curriculum Change Would Expand Concentration Options

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December 14, 1970

A proposal currently under consideration by the English Department's Committee on Undergraduate Curriculum would, if adopted by the faculty of the full department, provide for three sub-majors within the field of concentration.

"The English program had assumed that students would study the history and criticism of English and American literature," Morton Bloomfield, chairman of the department and a member of the committee, said last night.

In contrast, the proposed change offers an English concentrator three options of study within the department, one of which would be the present basic study plan, involving an overview of English and American literature and criticism.

The second option would be specialization entirely within one specific field of literature. Possibilities might include concentration on comparative literature, genre studies, such as the novel or the narrative, or translations of various areas of foreign literature.

'Broader and Different'

"This approach opens up possibilities of broader and different approaches to literature." Bloomfield said.

The third specialization available to concentrators would be a writing-oriented program. "The program wouldgive many more opportunities, although it would not necessarily mean more courses," Bloomfield said. He added that the writing program would probably have to be limited, since the department is short of funds and manpower.

Each of the options, according to the proposal, would be offered both as an honors and a non-honors concentration.

The committee's proposals also include an expansion of pass/fail options for both honors and non-honors concentrators. However, non-honors majors would still have greater freedom in this area.

The committee, chaired by Robert J. Kiely, professor of English, has talked extensively wi'h students since it began meeting last March. "We believe we have consulted 30 to 40 per cent of the undergraduate English concentrators, either at the House or the committee level," Bloomfield said.